"The Distaff."

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2304, 16 April 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

"The Distaff."

A LADY'S LIST TKR

TiIKUE is nothing particularly now to toll concerning fashion. All tli-it one has to chronicle a-vc tin: chungr-i in make and material. I notice among other and minor details of evening that ribbons are tied round the deck. The ribbon is moderately wide, and, as a rule, is fastened to ;i foundation of stiff net, which prevent, Us wrinkling. Tin; bow at the baek is compiet. and tlie ends very little longer than the short loops. The bow is made up, as it in called, not tied ciuili time the. ribbon is worn. Bkek ribbon velvet, studded with a single diamond or its imitation, loo!.a very uell, and serves admirably to set off by force of contrast a good complexion. When the ends of the tie ave not short;, ouriou-dy enough they are long, very long, always reaching to below the waist, but when this styie is chosen, a narrow ribbon moire ribbon preferably, is much used for ball toilets. Then; should be. a foundation of silk or satin bunea'h, to yrive support to the tulle ; when economy intetferes, then a good sateen is an admirable substitute for the richer material. One of the most elecant but unpretending toilets I have seen for some time was that worn by Mdll". Marguerite, the lady who assists M. Verbeek—one of the cli-veiest prestidigitfitcurs of the day. I paid a visit to Piccadily hall recently to see some additional feats of legerdemain with which M, Verbeok keeps up the interest of the public. 'J , he dress I refer to was made of silk canvas oc :i very light colour; it was, in fact, not far removed from whit-3. The bodice was made heart shape both back and front, fine folds of the material outlining the opening , . The bodice fastened obliquely on the left side. The .shirt was short and very full; a simple overdress caught up with moire ribbon bows at the sides, and finished with a very wide nnd long moire sash, formed the upper portion. The lower skirt had a lace flounce at the extreme edge. Then there was a narrow band of moire ribbon, and between it and a second band was lace insertion of corresponding width. The t-leeves were quite .short, and very pale tan-colonred gloves were drawn on to meet them. A deep red rose, a pale pink one, and a third rose, striped, piuk and red, formed a bouquet de corsage that gave just the necessary colour relief.

I must mention some new nnd pretty corsages, made of lacs insertion and ribbon, which ;iro mended to be worn over muslin or coli)iirecl tulle skirt*. Two girl ffiends of jnino went to a dunce lately, and sevoi'iilly wore tlio gowns I am about to describe. Dress of white muslin, broad pink mohair sash, pink shoes to rnatoh, bodice cut square back nnd front, made of Valenciennes la'je insertion alternating with pink moire ribbon, the edges of tlie one slightly overlapping the other. A flounoo of Valenciennes lace formed the basque, and the sleeves, elbow length, were finished in the miinn way, butterfly bows ■ being set on the shoulders. A necklet of ribbon such as I described before complied a, very rlainty costume, the lust appropriate touch being given by u bouquet, of pink caruitions sent from the Riviora. The others-own I will endeavour to describe was a li;ilf morning o;io of white tulle, ballet skirt, and extremely full black moire ribbon about two or, may be, three inches in width, forming spaced

stripes at equal distances. Black moire corsage out. an extremely low squire before and behind, white tulle being drawn up closely round the neck and tied with moire ribbon ; the small short sleeves, with under ones of tulle, were caught up, baby fashion, with strings of pearls ; black satin shoes. White flowers were worn on the corsage and earned in the hand. Bouquets at present are oftener seen than fans in modern ball rooms. Some few ladies, however, carry both. Gradually trains ;iro making their way into favour. Many ladies recognise the fact that for indoor wear a train which lies a few inches on the ground is iT.it in convenient, whilst it adds considerably to th'- , elegance of the wvarer. When I lay ill I used to remark the graceful appearance of my professional nurses, whose blue cashmere and blue cotton dresses were made witli straight skirts resting on the 11 or behind, plain bodices and tightfitting long sleeves, finished with neat linen collar and cuds. Their snowy enps, tied with bron.il strings edged lace, added very greatly to the charm of the costume, and likewise to the faces th»y irainad. I resolved that, omitting , the cap, I would, when convalescent, have some indoor dresses marie in corresponding fashion. One nurse was qi:ito a coquette and very dninty in her ways, and I noticed that, her μ-own had not a, perceptible .gather in front, the entire fulness tv-iny- kept quite at. the back of the skirt. When the figure allows ibis exceeding plainness, no styl" proves more becoming. The train should not rest on the ground more thin a quarter of a yard, else it may get in the way of others.

1 notice how increasingly colouhml cambrics aro made info umlerlmen ; and not only pinlc and bluo linens, but white silk with tiny blue or bhick spots, or other pattern, upon it. Recently, at, one of our great West, End shops, I saw .some jrarinents tn;ide of white cambric on which was a tiny pattern, self-coloured, with other minute lines of red and blue crossing each other. The Lice used to edsre the top was drawn round the neolc with d;irk blue china ribbon, which washes with the "farmont. I heard the other d'riy. oil ii'oiid authority, that T,he Prince of Wales wears, instead of white linen, under of dark-coloured sillc, which is patterned with some snin.ll dasiirn. Few of us care to buy Madeira work with which to trim our linen, and rnachinc-i.'iado embroidery is most unsatisfactory. Torchon Lice possesses undoubted wearing qualities, but there is

another make of lace which I hrar is more durable even than Torchon, and also less expensive.